High School Football Tour: French Camp

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FRENCH CAMP, Miss. (WCBI) — Exceeding last year’s incredible run to the State Championship game won’t be easy.

A storybook season saw the French Camp Panthers just a minute away from winning the school’s first ever State Title. This season, the return to the Title is just part of the goal.

“We want to do our best to somehow create a culture where we are never happy,” head coach Nathan Wright said.  “We want to push for more greatness. We’re trying to see where we can be better than last year. I think as coaches we can do a better job with our relationships with our kids.

“We want to put forth our best effort, wait on the Lord, and see how He puts these puzzle pieces together. ”

Going into this year, FCA returns a strong nucleus including stand-out defender Hagan Box and signal caller Jesse Hosket. But that’s not the only place where the Panthers are strong.

“Up front, we will be better,” Wright said. “That’s yet to be proven but I think up front we’ll be better. We’ll have more depth. Jesse will be much improved. Up front, defensive and offensive lines that’s where we are hanging our hat.”

For now, the focus remains on returning to Jackson, the site of a special moment for all of Panther Nation last season.

“Just being there was fantastic,” coach Wright said. “To know that here’s all these folks in blue and white. It really was surreal. It was very humbling to think we had a chance to be in that venue.

“Maybe what it did for us negatively is it put a bulls-eye on us. But in a positive way, some of our guys know what it feels like. Hopefully that will project us into wanting to do that again.”

French Camp starts the season off with the new Choctaw County rivalry against the Chargers at home, a game which will undoubtedly be a rocking atmosphere.